The National tribune., 1887-03-03
MR.. coSGER, OF IOWA:

Mr.. coNGER, OF IOWA:
lam content that the very elaborate report of the
Committee Invalid Pensions shall go To the
country q free and complete refuiaion Of all the
| pretended excuses furnished by the President FOR
| his veto. But n member Of that committee,
VIII ch has devoted many hours Of faithful. Gn-
remting service 10 the matters given IL in charge
as any committee Of this House II may not he IN
appropriate for me TO say that the bill under cofI-
sideration had. when before the committee my
hearty approval Of all it, provisions. so far as they
went: though in my judgment. the bin sb0uld
| have been OF much broader scope and afforded ~
much larger measure Of relief. IL had my cordial
support aud my vote when on IFS passage and. Mr..
Speaker. have discovered nothing since either IN
the hyperbolic criticisms Of the President or else
| where, TO weaken nay inih ln the merits oi TINS
legislation, nor 10 shake my confidence ia the be-
lief that the objects sought he ohtained by the
provisions Of this bill fairly and sensibly construed
! believe was right then, ana sure am right
now: and shall cheeifully record my vote in favor
Of the passage of this just and humane measure,
the objections Of the President TO the contrary not
withstanding
Every objection, with n single exception that
the Executive urges against this bali VIII obtain
! with equal force against the Mexican pension bill,
which passed by this House on the same day
aud signed by him with such marvellous alacriiy.
This objection Is, that so many years have not
elapsed since the close Of the of the rebellion
az since the close Of the Mexican In the judg
ment Of the President sufficient number of the
defenders Of the flag and saviors of the Republic
have not yet died off To warrant the Government.
economically administered in granting this
measure OF relief as the President said in his last
]
1 their country long and well, now reduced TO
/ dcstitution and dependence"
Wait. the President says; wait, wait until the
! scyihe Of Time has made broader openings la their
| ranks Wait until their number y so reduced by
destituton and death that the pensions granted
! will not 80 appallingly reduce the Surplus
/ This, Mr.. Speaker. was the argument used by the
leaders Of the rebellion in justification Of their in
human barbarites against these same men when
they were incarcersted ia the prison pens OF An
dersonyille. Reduce their number, they said: re-
| duce them by starvation. brutality. and death; it
J will then require less room 10 holh the remainder,
aud cost fewer dollars 10 care for aud control them
I am not ready To believe that the patriotic peo-
pie OF this country viii ever indor7e such
euse as this or commend their Chief Ruler for sug-
! gesting IL
have failed. Mr. Speaker TO discover any general
opposition 10 the passage Of this bill from any local
lilies except the great money ceniers Of the country
aud from the socaled Southern States. From
those. on the one hand who were enabled TO make
great fortunes out of the necessities Of the times
which made the bcncticiaries Of this act disabled
aud dependent. and on the other from those who
responsible for the conflict IN which the dis
abilities were incurred, and who. ia fact, by shot
and shell and prison pens themselves inflicted the
wounds and planted the diseases for which these
pensions are 60 be granted.
For myself, will yield 10 no man in my admi-
ration for the courage Of those men whose
bravery have Witnessed many a hard-fought
field nor shall any man 20 before me IN sincere
/ respect and esteem for the distinguished Rep
resentatiyes of the ." New South I" who honestly de
sire thc prosperity aud advancement Of our " hole
country; but submit, sir, that IL III becomes the
out Of the misiOrtunes Of the war, or the men
who made pensions "A necessity, 10 now assume
absolutely TO decree with what measure the bounty
Of this Nation shall be distributed among IFS needy
pensioners.
II Is now no great secret that the center of great
, wealth in the North the people Of the South. and
the President Of the United States are opposed "a
all further general pension legislation for surviving
Union soldiers They believe the statute Of limta.
tion should now be raised against the Govern.
; menfs most sacred obligations. And so, Mr.
, Speaker. desire to remind them here and now
a. Farf fl.str
consolation-tlIat the Union soldiers Of the o
. the rebellion are dying 10y whole brigades every
year Every l2thinonth 400 81 them stack arms
for the last time and answer To the last rollca e
that but few years shall pass away until there viii
DE left but corpOTals guard 10 show their wounds
aud ask for help. Why, at this rate they will soon
very soon all have passed To that blessed bourn,
where pensions can give no aid nor Presidential
veioes pain.
Mr. SAWYER, OF NEW YORK:
Our pension roll is "A roll OF honor from the nam,
Of The distinguished and gallant Commissioner q
| Pensions who receives for his wounds n pension
none too high down 10 the name of the humbles
private soldier. No nation ever had a grandcr roll
| IL includes the names of brave soldiers and ia,
widows and minor children of dead heroes. th'
| widow of the firm, unyelding Thomas, the COO
and determined Hancock, and 10 whick hops
may soon be added the name of the widow of 10
! gan, the most conspicuous civilian soldier of th,
army, who living, was the pride Of his command
and. now dead, hls name il written in the heart o
! every Grand Army man la the Nation.
lSut does the President suppose that any soldie
whose name Is on this grand list would prefer &
q see his brother comrade poor aud dependent fron
n fault Of hs. totally unable TO procure his sub
sstencc 10y s daily labor, suffering for the neccssi
ties of life. living object of charity. paupe
in some alnshonse rather than that grateful VA
tion in recognition Of hs services a soldier an'
II his undeserycd poverty, should place him on Tia
4 same list and grant him the small sum provided b.
= this section? think II an insult 10 every solde
} 80 10 believe.
: Tie President seems 10 think that making hi
provision for the de-crvedly poor and needy sode
la some way il 10 bc regarded rs "A reflection upo
fl.s. tla.4r Her tlta
when ia ISIS pension was granted 10 the soldier
. Of our Revolutionary war, those men who by thei
courage and suiierlggs made our National exist
ence possible, n lawMhch required every benef
eary under IL 10 be one who Is, or hereafter b.
reason Of s reduced circumstances Ia life shall be
la need of assistance from his country for support
Was this bill then regarded Objectionable b.
any one? Did any other Revolutionary soldie
feel that Ia any extent his reputation had bee
lowered by ths provision? No Some of us CT
well remember how, when but very few of th
noble army were left, with how much respect the
were treated and the pension they received wa
regarded a most just and honorable rccogniiio
Of their worth. Aud the time will come in the nc
far distant future when the remnant left Of tli
brave soldiers Who saved the Nation will he hel
aud treated with the same respect
viii IL be regarded AZ any reflection upon the so
q. dicrs Of the war with Mexico whose names mo-
on the pension roll, That the first To receive
pension under the Mexican pension bin Just passo
should he An ex-tnember Of the United States SeI
ate. having received such a salary of over s5 o
a year, who, although "A brave officer in the Mex
can war, Is placed on the roll neither ON aecount
u disabilities ar Necessity. Showing that under Ih
or law the first one TO be benefited was who q
In nearly four years endeavored TO destroy the Go
=, ernmenl that max this provision ina his faVo
- The President speaks Of the present exigency
'c do not know what lac means by this lie cann
ne refer 10 our ability 10 pay. for National freh
n nry is full TO overhowing. and the great question
ad how may reduce our national income.
sI shall not speak Of the cost of this bill. ful
o. believe however, that the Chairman OF the Cor
"a ON Pensions l. ,Vll